Tape serving machine



Jan. 17, 1933- L. LlNK 1,894,317

TAPE SERVING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fag/038 3 /6 I Lgm's by M,w7f M-r%j Jan. 17, 1933. UNK 1,894,317

TAPE SERVING MACHINE Filed March 15 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE LOUIS LINK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NASHUA GUMMED & COATED PAPER 00., OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS mm SERVING MACHINE Application filed March 15, 192-9. Serial No. 347,404.

My present invention relates to strip or tape serving machines and more particularly aims to provide an improved mechanism for feeding, moistening and serving lengths of adhesive or gummed strip material, especially for package sealing and the like purposes. As to all common subject matter this application is a continuation in part of my copending ap lication, Serial No. 226,366, filed Oct. 15,192

In the drawings, illustrating certain embodiments of my invention, Fig. 1 is-a plan view of one form: of machine for carrying out my invention, a por-, tion of the cover being removed to disclose underlying parts;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine of Fig. 1; 4

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section;

Fig. 4 is a front end elevation with the cover elevated and a portion thereof broken E, and with vthe moistening device removed;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section in a plane immediately to the rear of the severing means, as viewed from the front of the machine, that is, from left to right of Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on a larger scale illustrating certain tape guiding means;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate certain modifications, Fig. 7 being a view similar to Fig. 6,

, Fig. 8 a new corresponding to the right hand such as portion of Fig. 3, and Fig. 9 corresponding to the upper portion of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a cross-support.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals indicate like parts as in my said co-pending application. The machine as a whole is provided with a main frame or housing comprising the opposite side frames or members 1 and 2 and the intermediate floor members 3 and 4, the latter at the lower left portion of the machine as seen in Fig. 3. The side members 1, 2 are preferably of sheet metal and have supporting feet 5, 5, etc., rovided with protective rests the rubber members 6, 6, etc. Said floor member 4 at the front of the machine serves tx. interconnect theside members 1, 2 v 1 at that point, being provided for this purpose port or guide for the tape as it with depending flanges 8 at its opposite sides secured to they respective side frames as by screws, rivets or the like.

The sideframes 1, 2 are suitably connected at other pointsas by the screws 9, 10 respectively at the central and rear portions thereof, said intermediately located screw cooperating with a spacing pin 11 between the frames; see also Flgs. 2 and 5.

The main floor member 3 and the side frames are constructed and arranged to provlde a well or support for a roll of strip material, such as the adhesive or gummed tape indicated at 34, Figs. 2 and 3, said floor member also serving as an underl 'ng supeeds for wardly from the'roll. At its rear end said floor member 3 is bent over to form a sleeve or spacer 13 which receives the screw 10 through it. T From said point the floor member 3 extends downwardly and forwardly to provide the floor of the tape well, thence upwardly' and forwardly to the feeding means, and up to or substantially up to the severing means, the latter including a fixed shear blade 15 extending across and above the floor member. At its forward end adjacent said fixed blade said floor member and tape guide 3 is supported by a cross-piece 16 seen in section in Fig. 3 and in perspective in Fig. 10, and which comprises a horizontal main ortion having at its forward edge a dependmg lip 16 around which the end of the floor member 3 is bent. Said cross-piece is also formed adjacent each side frame with a depending ear 16", see also Fig. 4, said ears being positioned against the adjacent face of the respective side frames and secured thereto as by screws, one of which is seen at 16, Figs. 2 and 4. At its left end said crosspiece is formed with an extension l6 proecting outwardly through the left side frame 1 and adapted to serve as a support for the pivot of the movable blade to be more fully described.

At the forward end of the main floor member or tape guide 3 is fixed an overlying ta e guide or plate 18 having atoits opposite si es depending flanges 18 18 for supportin t in proper spaced relation above the un erillustrated in Figs.

guide 3 so as to receive and guide the advancing tape between them. Said flanges 18 of the plate-N18 are secured to the underlying guide 3 as by means of slots in the latter receivin bentover nibs ,on the underedges of *said anges. The rear end of said upper guide plate 18, toward the ri ht in Figs. 1 to 3, is inclined and recessed su stantially as illustrated to provide the transversely spaced guide lips 19, 19, whereby the leadingedge "of'the tape will be accurately entrzlred between the upper guide 18 and lower ui e3. g The tape is preferably guided at its side edges during feeding. or this purpose as 1 to 6, the under-guide or floor member 3 has a plurality of laterally spaced slotted formations 21, etc. respectively at opposite sides of the center line of the tape path; see particularly Fig. 6. Said slot formations are respectively adapted to receive the movable guide members or clips 22, 23 supported upon a bar or pin 24 extending between the side members 1 and '2. Said bar 24 has a like plurality of oove formations 25 similarly spaced as sand.

- formations 20, 21 in the floor member.

' Each of said guide members 22, 23 is formed with a vertical slot 26, see also Fig. 3, of a width corresponding tofthe reduced diameter of the bar 24 at its groove forma-. tions 25, thus providing said members with a pair of depending arm portions which, in

the form illustrated, are connected at their lower ends. These guide members at said lower ends each have an enlarged continuation 28 of the vertical slot 26 adapted to receive the ungrooved portion of the bar .24.

It will be understood that either or both of said guide members 22', 23 may be lifted until the bar lies in their enlarged openings 28, when they may be moved along the bar and dropped into the selected slot formation 20 or- 21 of the underlying guide or door member 3, their upper portions being re ceived by the corresponding grooved formations 25 of the bar. The guide members are thus adjustable or shiftable for guiding relation with strips or tape of difierent widths.

The fixed shear-blade 15 previously mentioned is formed at its right end with a finger 36 supported in the adjacent side frame 2;

' see Figs. 1, 2 and 4. At its opposite end it projects outwardly of theleft side frame 1 where it is secured to the extension 16 of the cross-piece 16 as by means of'the bolt 38, which latter also serves as the pivotal support for the cooperating movable shear-blade 40. As best'seen in Fig. 4 said movable blade 40 is formed with an elongated slot 41 in which is received a roller 42 on a pin or stud 42 near one end of a shear lever 43, the lower end of which is pivotally supported upon an car 44 projecting upwardly from the front floor member 4, as by means of the pin or 20, 20 etc. and 21,-

of the tape as it comes moistener.

recast? bolt 45. Said shear-lever 43 has an angled extension 46 projecting outwardl through a suitable slot in the adjacent si e and adapted to be engaged by a abutment or reinforcement member 47 carried by the main operating lever 48.

A tension spring 49, see Figs. 3 and 4, is connected at one end to the shear-lever 43, and at its opposite end, at a point preferably somewhat both lower and to the rear of its forward end is connected to one side frame, herein the left frame 1, as by means of a nib 50 stamped out and projecting inwar from the latter. Said spring 49 is so arranged that it not only tends to maintain the shear lever and the movable shear-blade in their normal or depressed position substana pull upon the shear lever 43 and consequently upon the movable blade'40 laterally of the latter and toward the fixed blade 15, so as toaifor-d a good cutting action for said cooperating blades. that the construction and arrangement is such that as the shear-lever 43 is moved by depression of its projecting arm 46, the point of operative connection between said shearlever and the movable blade, the point where the lateral pull is exerted on the blade, gradually shifts toward the free end of the latter as the cutting action proceeds. Thus a proper shearing or cutting action is assured throughout the length of the blades and entirely across the tape or strip to be severed. Said cutting or severing means and associatd parts are claimed in my said copending ication Serial No. 226,366.

he moistening means as herein illustrated frame 2 "suitable dly It will also be noted ice by means of ribs 1, 2 turned inwardly at I the front ends of the respective side frames and by the ear 4 projecting upwardly from the floor member 4 at the rear of the reservoir. Said reservoir has an interior, downwardly extending tongue 52 preferably formed as a continuation of the front wall and having its lower end bent at an angle toform a seat 53 for the lower end of a brush moistener 54, the free ends of the hairs or bristles of which project upwardly into the path of the tape. Cooperating with the free or projecting end of the brush is a'yieldably supported plate 55 having a collar portion 55 receiving a pin 51 whereby said plate is pivotally supported by and upon the reservoir. Said plate 55 is adapted yieldingly to engage the rear portion of the projecting brush and similarly to engage the under face from the severing and accurately guides it to the brush The interior tongue 52 serves also the liquid me ans,

as a guard to preventspilling of from the tank during itsinsertion or removal,

. or to conduct any excess liquid back into the tank.

The strip feedin means as herein illustrated is of the fee wheel or feed roll type. The upper guide plate 18 is cut away as at 56, see Fig. 1, to receive the upper feed roll 57, which preferably is knurled, and is rotatable upon a pin 58 received at its opposite ends in slotted bearings in the respective side frames. Said upper feed roll is yieldingly urged into feeding relation with the lower feed roll 59 as by means of the springs 58, 58 on the tape guide bar 24 and respectively engaging the opposite ends of the'pin 58.-

The lower feed roll 59, as illustrated, is

somewhat narrower but of larger diameter.

than the upper roll 57 and desirably has a similar knurled surface, a slot 60 being formed in the floor member 3 to permit said lower roll to enga e the under face of the strip to be fed. aid lower roll 59 is fast upon a cross-shaft 61 rotatably supported in bearings on the opposite side frames. As best seen in Figs. 3 and 5, said shaft 61 is adapted to be turned, preferably through step-up gearing substantially as illustrated, from a gear 62 rigidly securedto a ratchet wheel 63, both mounted to turn freely on a shaft 64 also rotatably supported in hearings on the side frames. is fixed upon one end of said shaft which projects outwardly beyond the adjacent side frame, herein the right frame 2. Fast on said shaft 64 is aratchet arm or pawl carrier 65 having pivotally connected to it at 66 a pawl 66. Said pawl is normally-urged into engagement with the ratchet 63 as by means of a spring 67 engaging at one end a pin 66 upon an extension of the pawl 66 and supported upon and secured to a pin 65 on the pawl carrier. I When the pawl 66, by movement of the operating lever48, is brought into a certain position its projecting portion engages a fixed pin 68 upon the adjacent side member 1 which causes the pawl to be disengaged from the ratchet 63 during further movement of the operating lever. the ratchet and consequently of the feed rolls 59, 57 is prevented during continuedmovement of theoperating lever in the same direction. Q

Means is also preferably provided whereby different predetermined lengths of tape may be fed, moistened, and severed. For thisfixed upon it a pointer or indicator 73 and also carrying a limit-bushing 74, a knurled adjusting nut 75 and a cover nut 76. By releasing the adjusting nut 75 the carrying bolt The operating lever 48.

Thus further'movenient of 72 and indicator may be variously positioned along the slot 71 to limit the upward movement of the operating lever as desired. An index graduated in units of tape length is preferably provided for cooperation with the pointer 73, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The operating lever 48 is normally urged into its upward or inactive'position as by means of the coil spring 77 surrounding and supported upon the shaft 64 and having one end secured to the cross-pin 11 previously mentioned and its other end secured about the pin 65 on the pawl carrier 65, with which pin the pawl spring 67 is also connected.

, Removably overlying otherwise exposed portions of the guiding, feeding, severing and moistening means reviously described is a cover plate 79. Said plate has at its forward projecting end of the brush moistener immediately forwardly of the yielding plate 55 on the reservoir. Rearwardly of the moistener said cover plate 79 is extended as at 81 to constitute a further tape guide in cooperation with said underlying late 55, terminating in an upturned lip ad acent the severingmeans. I have thus provided means carried by the cover 79 for accurately guiding the tape from the severing means or shear blades, in cooperation with the" underlying plate 55, up to and across the brush moistener and for causing the tape to be fed past the latter in a yielding moistening relation therewith. Said cover, which normally encloses all parts of the mechanism above the tape guide and floor member 3, is provided at Its rear with a sleeve or bearin portion 82 I whereby it is pivotally supporte upon a cross stud 83 upon the side frames. Said cover plate 79 may thus be swung upwardly at any time for inspection, cleaning, or other purposes and upon being again lowered immediately and automatically assumes its weighting and guiding relation with the tape and the brush moistener.

In Figs. 7 and 8 is illustrated a modified form of tape guiding means. The pin or bar 244 is supported in the side frames 1, 2, preferably rotatably, at any suitable position along the path of the tape, for example, as shown in Fig. 8 or at the location of pin 24 of Figs. 1 to 6. Said pin 24' has a plurality of annular grooves 25', 25' adapted to receive balls 26',.26' pressed by springs 27, 27 in bores 28', 28 extending diametrically in the respective guide members 22, 23', illustrated as discs. These guide members may be shift ed along the pin 24 as desired, the balls 26', 26' leaving the particular groove in which they are thenreceived, against the action of their springs, but snapping back into locking position in any selected groove. The guides are thus adjustable to cooperate with strips or tapes of different widths.

. Similar guide means may also be employed, either in connection with the mechanism of Figs. 1 to 6 or ofthe other figures, to assist in retaining the supply roll 34 in desired position. hown in Fig. 8, a pin 31, corresponding to the vpin M and having shiftable guides 32 similar to guides 22, 23, is carried on a presser arm 30 pivoted on the screw 10 at the rearof the machine and'urged toward'the roll by a spring 35.

In Fig.9 I haveillustrated a modified formof yielding support vfor the upper feed roll 57, also 1n accordance with my invention. As

there shown said roll 57 is rotatable upon a pin 58' supported at its opposite ends in the side frames 1,2, and which is of sufiiciently small diameter and inherently resilient and is so arranged as to press against the lower feed roll 59, but is yieldable away from the latter to permit the strip or tape to be fed between the two rolls.

My. invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiments herein shown and described, its scope being pointed out in' the following claims: 1

1. In a machine for serving and moistening strip, material, in combinatlon, a frame including spaced side members, strip advancing means between said side members including a feed floor having its fore portion belpw the upper edges of said members, a reservoir having a brush moistener projecting therefrom into the path of the. strip, strip severing means between said brush and the strip ads, vancing means, and a plate pivotally supported upon the frame'between said side members, said plate cooperating with said side members to provide a covering closure for said moistening andseveringtme'ans and otherwise exposed parts of" the gadva'ncingmeans, and having a forward portion adapted v to efi'ect yielding moistening engagement of e the strip and said brush moistener,

2. In a strip serving and moistening machine, in combination, a support for a strip supply, upper and lower feed rolls for advancing the strip between them from the supply, strip moistening means at the forward or delivery end of the machine, strip severing means between said feed rolls and sai mois-' "tening means, and a vertically movable cover plate extending in its normal or operative position from a point to the rear of the axis of said upper feed roll forwardly over the latter and over the strip severing means and I .the strip moistening means; said cover plate having a portion.yieldablyengageable withv the upper face of the strip as the latter passes.

the moistening means, operatively to engage said means with the strip. 3. In a strip serving and moistening machine, in combination with a frame or hous-j mg, means to advance and deliver the strlp,

the feed roll 57 recast? feed members or advancing the strip betweenthem from the supply, said members being mounted" for relative yielding movement in a separating direction and being normally urged into strip advancing relation, strip} moistening means at the delivery end oft e machine, a movable blade to sever the strip betweenthe feed members and the mois-- temng means, and a vertically movable plate tween them from the supply, one of said members mounted on an axial member having inherent re 'lience and positioned relatively to the axis f theother member yieldably to urge said members into strip advancin relation, strip moistening means at the dgivery end of the machine, a movable blade to sever -the strip between the feed members and the moistenmg means, and a vertically movable plate supported at one end portionto the rear of the feed members and having a portion at its opposite end adapted to depress the advancing-strip into moistening engagement with the moistening means, said plate providing a top closure over the feed members and the movable blade.

6. In a machine for feeding'and moistening strip material, in combination, a support fora strip supply, upper and lower rotary feed members for advancing the strip between them from the supply, variably positionable guide means cooperating with said feed members, for strips of difierent widths, strip moistening means at the delivery end of the machine, a movablebl'ade to sever the strip between the feed members' and the moistening means, and a vertically movable plate supported at one end portion to the rear of the feed members and having a portion at its op posite end adapted to depress the advancing strip into moistening engagement with the supported'at one end portion to the rear of closure over the feed lfiembers and the mov- ,Erising, a shear LOUIS LINK. 

